Position Statement - Severn Trent Water sale of land at Lake Vyrnwy

Don't put your camera on a round spike in loose ground where high winds are likely - or even a stiff breeze.
Don't mount your telescopes on a shelf that wobbles whenever somebody leans on it (especially children).
Very important - don't make notes on a pocket voice recorder and leave them for weeks without transcribing them.

Only today, when we looked back at voice notes made over the last six weeks, did we deduce…

When we started this Peregrine Watch Date With Nature thing back in late
March, it was always our intention to get tv pictures in front of the
public. We fitted out the hide with a big flat screen, we set up a box
outside for a propane-powered generator, and we put a radio aerial
outside to pick up a signal from the camera we planned to put on the
cliff across the lake.

Unfortunately, as we all know, nature…

Monday 31st May, 8:00 am to 10:00 am, Migrant Discovery Walk - nothing to do with patrolling the nation's borders, just a Bank Holiday Monday saunter through the wood and up the hill to renew acquaintance with tiny travellers back from incredible journeyings. A little party of early breakfasters, all agog for the benefit of Assistant Warden Stuart's expertise.

With the village swifts darting between the rooftops…

We think - we may be wrong, but we don't think so - we think, we are
fairly certain, the peregrines have hatched their first chick.

This morning (Tuesday, 25th) the activity was intense up there on the
ledge, with both parent birds in attendance most of the morning, and,
thrillingly, around mid-morning, the male bird arrived carrying food -
which, after flying by a couple of times, it deposited on the ledge…

All is well with the peregrines. We watched a changeover yesterday in
mid-afternoon, which was the first real action all day and gave some
visitors a really good view of the off-duty bird sitting nearby.

The nesting site is concealed behind a hedge of heather on a high ledge,
so most sightings are only glimpses of tail and wingtips as the
incubating parent shifts on the eggs. There will be more to see soon,
when…

Do you know about our Life Active Blanket Bog Project here at Lake Vyrnwy?

We have special team working on our high moors conserving and restoring our blanket bogs.

So why are bogs important? Not only do they create an environment for many specialist plants, insects and birds but they are also a very important resource for combating climate change. The bog is a huge carbon store that needs to remain locked away. By…

Another Monday in the Lakeside Hide:

While we're waiting for the peregrines to hatch, there's nothing much
happening on the cliff. A couple of times a day we see the parent bird
fly off the ledge, circle round a few times, maybe rest for a while in a
tree and then fly back to the ledge. This happens suddenly, so it's
difficult to keep track of both birds and we're never quite sure at long
range…

Our most excellent volunteer Graham reports from the Date with Nature site:-

“There's a pair of goosanders at the top of the lake. While I was idling
the morning away waiting for peregrines to show, I saw something I
haven't seen before, namely the female goosander entering and leaving
the nestbox. She did it a couple of times, while he swam around
admiringly. She can't climb up to it, and at first she didn…

Monday and a beautiful day again.

There have been some ups and downs over the weekend, however far more ups!

We have welcomed to the reserve RSPB Local Groups; firstly on Saturday the Cheshire Group led by Paul Grimmett. As I was welcoming them in car park, the shout went up “Red Kite!” spotted soaring above us in the clear blue sky, a great start to the day. On Sunday we welcomed members of the Wolverhampton Group…

Well the fabulous weather continues. This morning crossing the dam on the way to work the lake was flat calm and like a mirror. The forecast is good, so why not visit this weekend?

On the bird front the Peregrines are still putting on a show, two pairs for a time today. Also Ravens showing well from the Date with Nature site, we believe feeding young.

The Osprey is still around, in fact we think we may have seen a…

Been away at the Members Conference for the last few days - well worth going - lookout for details and book for next year!

Well its all happening in my absence! An Osprey has been seen on and off for the past three weeks, and an Otter at the Lakeside hide, currently our “Date with Nature” site.

Migrants are coming in thick and fast now, Ring Ouzel in the Gadfa area, Redstarts, Pied Fly and Willow Warbler…

Not the clearest picture, but taken through a scope approximately 1/2 mile from our viewing hide.

We hope this pair of peregrines will soon settle and begin to lay eggs and hopefully rear young.

We have had some disturbance, not least from a second pair of Peregrines, unsuspecting walkers in an area not that accessible, and low flying Hercules and Chinook aircraft!!

Still we are getting some spectacular views of…

 Lambing is in full swing on our farm, and there is still time to book and come to this popular event - don’t delay, places are filling fast!!

So far this Easter we have welcomed over 200 people to these events, and without exception everyone has had a great time. You will have an opportunity to cuddle a lamb, and very possibly act as a midwife, and help at the birth.

We…

This is the first blog from Lake Vyrnwy, so here goes!

For those of you that don’t know us, the reserve is situated in the Berwyn Mountains, just east of Snowdonia, the boundary of which adjoins the reserve.

Lake Vyrnwy reserve is huge! It extends to some 25,500 acres, approx 7 miles from east to west as the Raven flies, and 5 miles north to south. Within the reserve the RSPB manage 11,500 acres of organic…